For the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, runners can sign up with their bib number online at NBvirtualQueue.com, beginning at 6:00 a.m. Friday, November 7 to get an early bird appointment to try on and buy runDisney New Balance shoes. For the Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend, runners can sign up beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, November 14. Spectators and other shoppers can buy the runDisney New Balance shoes at the expo on Saturday during each race weekend. For more information and to sign-up, visit NBvirtualQueue.com.

UPDATE 10/2/2014 Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend:

For the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend, runners can sign up with their bib number online at NBvirtualQueue.com, beginning at 6:00 a.m. Friday, October 3 to get an appointment to try on and buy runDisney New Balance shoes. Spectators and other shoppers can buy the runDisney New Balance shoes at the expo on Saturday, October 4. For more information and to sign-up, visit NBvirtualQueue.com.

UPDATE 8/29/2014 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend:

For the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, runners can sign up with their bib number online at NBvirtualQueue.com, beginning at 6:00 a.m. PDT each morning that the race expo is open to get an appointment to try on and buy runDisney New Balance shoes. Spectators and other shoppers can buy the runDisney New Balance shoes at the expo on Saturday, August 30. For more information and to sign-up, visit NBvirtualQueue.com.

UPDATE 2/20/2014 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend:

New Balance has instituted a new shoe buying process for runners at the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend. Here’s the scoop:

I attended the 2013 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend as part of a press trip sponsored by New Balance and runDisney, where they gave runners a first glimpse of the new Disney New Balance shoes. I’ve subsequently gotten a lot of questions about how to buy them.

First, the shoes are only available at runDisney race expos. Unfortunately, they are not sold online. Though I’m sure some enterprising individuals will hawk them for obscene amounts of money on eBay, as happened last year, or offer their services as virtual personal shoppers. There’s at least one personal shopping company already advertising their services around the shoes. (UPDATE: I’ve been told that particular company got shut-down at the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.) Oh, Capitalism.

So you have to attend a runDisney race expo in person. There are currently eight runDisney race weekends throughout the year. Here they are for 2014:

You don’t have to actually register for any of the races to buy the shoes. The expos are free and open to the public. But you do have to get to Florida or California at the right rime.

Second, to buy the Disney New Balance shoes at the upcoming Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, folks have to make a reservation at the Disney Health & Fitness Expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. They’re trying to minimize lines at the New Balance booth, which were mayhem last year.

Third, they’ve instituted buying limits so that a few people can’t scoop up all the merchandise.

The official runDisney blog put together a post with detailed instructions on the procedure for Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Here’s the scoop.Purchase Rules at Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

Each person can buy:

4 adult shoes

4 shoe liners

2 kids shoes

The post also states: “Unfortunately, when making your reservation time, you cannot reserve a specific model, design or size of shoe.”

Disney New Balance Shoe Quantity

Don’t worry, though. This time, New Balance has said they’re producing enough shoes to meet the demand.

“My goal is to not run out of them,” said Josh Rowe, Senior Marketing Manager for New Balance performance sports, at the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend in November after I personally asked him how many shoes they were making.

Last month, he told me this: “We have learned a lot this past year at the runDisney expos and we can say that there will be significantly more shoes than last year.”

And runDisney is driving the point home with this from the blog post: “While shoes are available on a first-come, first-served basis, New Balance has taken steps to have enough shoes on hand to meet the demand.”

Here’s hoping!

For all the details on the Disney New Balance shoes themselves, check out these posts:

As a member of the media, runDisney is giving me complimentary race entries, hotel and park tickets for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. I buy my own airfare, most meals, etc. As always, all opinions are purely my own. Disney does not give me talking points, post requirements, story suggestions or the like. As with everything, I choose what I write about, when I write about it, and always give my honest opinion. I firmly believe in being honest about my experiences and Disney is no exception. For more, read my Disclosure Policy.

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Karla Bruning is a regular contributor to SHAPE.com, the host of NYRR's On The Run web + TV show, and a race announcer at events like the TCS New York City Marathon. She used to report for Newsweek but spent her free time squeezing in workouts. Now she freelances as a running reporter. She's run 7 marathons, 20 halves, 6 triathlons, sings in an '80s cover band, spoils her dog + travels compulsively.

Do you know if they will let adults try/buy the kids shoes? I like the mickey shoes and I wear a 6 in womens—hoping that the boys shoe will fit. Doing the Glass Slipper challenge this year and can’t wait to see them in person!

Yes, they will let adults buy kids shoes–up to 2 pairs per person. I don’t know if they’ll let you try kids shoes on, but I don’t see why not. When I was at the WDW Marathon expo I saw women trying on the men’s shoes. Hope you get your perfect pair!Karla Bruning recently posted..Walt Disney World Half Marathon 2014 Slideshow

Nika, I’m sorry to tell you that they are not available online. You best bet is eBay, where some enterprising individuals are selling a few pairs in various styles & sizes. New Balance & runDisney currently only sell them at runDisney race expos. Hope you find a pair in your size!

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Notes From A Nerd

I’m not the fastest runner and I’m not the slowest, but I am a running nerd. A journalist by trade, I love to research, read, learn and cogitate. So stick with me. Like all good nerds, I’ll do the homework and share it. But the running is up to you!